After a few years spent in quiet reflection during his introduction to the wonders of fatherhood, In Relationen emerges as both a refined and mature comeback, as well as a distinct new beginning for the long-time Berlin producer. The pensive character, delicate emotional undertones, and careful lines drawn with precise tension across restrained arrangements may sound familiar to fans of his earlier work, but there is now a greater sense of calm, an openness that rewards listeners both on and off the dance-floor. As contemplative as it may be, In Relationen still rocks, particularly on the title track, where a frontal psychedelic guitar line gently weeps across a haunting, hypnotic field of rhythm. The krautrock influence runs deep, not in a superficial way but in the depths of the music: atop the rolling, pastoral grooves, the vibe of a bright German mind reorganizing itself to a new framework, re-aligning to a fresh phase of life, finding deeper communion with the world through the discovered balance of inner peace.